Heat exchange apparatus provided with thermal compensating device



2 Sheets-Sheet l f IZ ' IN V EN TORS ATTORNEY MAX ROTHEMUND Feb. 23, 1954 C. scHRNER ETAI.

HEAT EXCHANGE APPARATUS PROVIDED WITH THERMAL COMPENSATING DEVICE Filed June l5, 1950 FIG-2 Fell 23, 1954 c. scHRNER ETAL 2,670,185

HEAT EXCHANGE APPARATUS PROVIDED WITH THERMAL COMPENSATING DEVICE Filed June 13. 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG-4 FIG-3 INVENTORS CHRISTIAN SCHRNER 8| MAX ROTHEMUND ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 23, 1954 armati-8.5 liEAT EXcHANGE APPARATUS PnovmED COMPENSATING DE- vIE hl'istian .Sthrner and Mas Rotheninei, Alissf borg, G many, assignors .to Ylilascni enfabrik a ohrporation bi Gaiman Annlicationtlnns '11.3, 1950., t srial No. win98 Priority! application Germany yQttlssr 1,19%?

This invention concerns certain improvements relating to the means for compensating `the heat expansions occurring in vessels with high interior pressure and diiferent temperature of the parts of the vessel, and has particular 4reference to heat exchangers.

It is an object of the present invention to pro,- vide means for compensating the heat expansions and the local stresses thereby produced in a pressure vessel consisting, for instance, of `a cy.- lindrical outer shell and a nest of tubes =beaded or Welded into the end bottoms thereof.

ln such vessels the interior of the vessel is passed in known manner by the compressed air to be heated up While the interior -ef the tubes is heated by yhet gases of allow pressure. I[he :lower end part of the yvessel being held in its .position in a longitudinal direction, the heat expansion of the upper tube bottom atthe end of the nest of heating tubes must be compensated vin relation to 1' the outer cylindrical shell which remains rather cold, by the provision of an 'elastic member. The known elastic compensating elements so far have proved rather good within certain pressure temperature limits. However, arising where the temperatures and @regalitos exceed these limits. l0n the one hand, the in,- serted expansion elements mnst have thin allvs in order to permit the large axnansl ns by the hightemperatures; o the that must stand the high pressent-os the illtsitl.

the vessel.

invention .to

It is the y@tra tf the present provide a construction avoiding these With this object in view, .anco ng toL ent invention a Series? ltnyrlnlin Pf ng @19s ments decreasing the nigh latin-ihr n.1?.V sure stages are provide@ tot protesting tho ssnansion element, e. g. the membrane bellows, 11.1.sgtt` at the noint'o'f maximum diiiorsnoe .oi os against the high pressure prevailing wl the interior of tho vessel,-

'ardn :to atta this enact, a certain'ioaliags of this inediti nder pressure .must he tolerated? hut 'this 'is 'olf an inferior importance. The drop of pressure is centrolled by small openings 'connecting lthe `last labyrinth chamber 'orthe vterminal chamber '-in thei expansion element :with the outer latmosf.- phere, thereby determining the -ow of the `mer dium under pressure through the labyrinth bers. The throttling points Vbetyve n Y chambers are .formed bypittoll, .c 9,1.- panning laminas -whoss shane is ntoiolablv .dosi d that either the Vexcess Innsssiite 'acting nn'tho naolsing @lenient or the. .hs t: operating conditions 'the ities are and of the throttling means .(pistcll rings, y 1 rinths) `which dilicultiesaccording to afurther feature of the invention .are removed `in vsuch a way that the constructionaielemants serving in? compensating the relative heal-,expansion anal the nackingmeans serving for throttling the pres. rg

are arranged in one ,of the .gas ductshavingni smaller .diameter than .the shell `of the heat exe changer. The gases are collemed, for instance afterleaving the nest pf tubes, in a oonioalhood or can piece passing aver into a aylinnlrioal tnbg iength. This cylindrical length of tube has arf nroximately the diameter of the gas disoharge tubs, Its diameter thus ,is silbstantiallysnla si than .the vdiameter ol the shell of the hgat. X- changer. ,If this cylindrical entsnson protruding into the .gas discharge tung is nrovifiod with n piston ring. paclsingfan a ahgomsnt with a rs1a= tively small diameter bo -obtainsd Whit very advantagsn tot the manufacture .tho assembly as well .as for operation.,

otnjerand iurther ohiaots. fsatntos anti ativantages-0f. the/invention will los Doin-.toil ut horns inaftsr anaannearin the annendool olaiinsfonn-s ingpartoi the application- In the drawings;

vkFig. 1 is a diagrammatic view of n heat changer, having the invention :ahnlisd thereto,

Fig.` 2 is arial section similar to Fig. linut, showing only the part of the expansion-device marksdbv o le in .Fig l on a larger stale2 fin' Xin! Section *inlOllgn ansa? @X1-r chansen whloh the compensating moans aro arrangedin apart-having a slnall dialnstsn 4 is an axial section of another modification of the compensating and packing means, and

Fig. `5 isan `axialsection ofthe compensating and packing `meanslat the bottom of the :vessel corresponding -toy the Lzone encircled' inF-ig. `3.

'R ferring now tothe drawings in greater '1detail; nist. t@ Figs.. 1 aus a it will be seen that the heat ssnhgngtrcofnnrisgs van outer shell I with tht hoatinsnlation i; a ,host of tubos? which is. connecten to an upper snd'nlate il and to. ia bottom plate `5 by beading or Weldingz ay gasdispacking element 8 withrpiston rings 9. The hot gases enter the heat exchanger from the bottom, at l0, pass through the single tubes of the nest of tubes 3 and leave the heat exchanger through the hood 6. The medium under pressure absorbing the heat, for instance, air, enters at l l and l2 and comes into contact with the nest of tubes 3, guided by guide walls i3, in a number of ilues, whereby the heat is transmitted from one flowing medium to the other, through the walls of the tubes. The heated medium under pressure leaves the heat exchanger at tubes S, of course, expands much more violently than the relatively cold wall i of the vessel,- the two elements are interconnected, with an interposed packing element S, by an elastic expansion element 'l in the form of membrane bellows. rEhe thin walls of the expansion element i and the corrugated form thereof permit a reliable compensation of the different heat expansions of the wall l of the vessel and of the nest of tubes 3. However, in order to permit the use of an expansion element l with thin walls, the pressure of the medium to be heated must be kept away from the same as much as possible. This is achieved by the packing element 8 with its piston rings B, forming throttling means through which the pressure of the medium to be heated up is decreased in steps from the inner towards the outer side, until it has been reduced, in the expansion element l, to an amount admissible for its wall thickness. The drop of pressure is caused and controlled by openings iii connecting the last labyrinth chamber with the outer atmosphere and controlling the passage of the pressure medium through the preceding throttling means.

By way of alternative, instead of the piston ring packing any other labyrinth packing may be used. It is only important, having regard to the design thereof, that the packing efciency is not reduced, but rather increased, by the relative expansion movement of the parts of the vessel. Fig. 3 shows an expansion and packing device for pressure vessels of larger dimensions. The general construction of the heat exchanger is the same as in Fig. l. A nest of tubes itl is arranged between plates 2i and 22 and in the interior of a pressure vessel consisting of the shell 23 and the insulation 2d. Guided by transverse partitions 25 the medium under pressure entering at 2S passes through the nest of tubes 2t, by way of a number of flues. The heated-up medium under pres-` sure is discharged at 2l. The heating gases enter the tubes 2li at 2S, pass through the same, transmitting heat to the pressure medium, and leave the heat exchanger through the hood is and the tubular connecting 4branch 3). En this case the expansion element 6i with the throttling rings t2, permitting an unimpeded longitudinal expansion of the nest of tubes 2li with the plate 2i and the hood 29, in relation to the wall 23 of the vessel, is accommodated in the tubular connecting piece. 30, i. e., in a constructional element having substantially smaller dimensionsA than the vessel itself. Consequently, the control of the function of the individual constructional elements is facilitated. It is also shown in this case that the passage of part of the medium under pressure through the throttling stages which is required for the reduction of the pressure, need not necessarily be a loss, but it is also possible, as far as the pressure is still above atmospheric pressure, to lead off the pressure medium and use it for any suitable purposes.

According to Fig. 4, membranebellows 33 are ld. Since the hot nest of K the nest of tubes and the ofi through the vbores 3i.

4 used for the packing which in this case owing to their smaller dimensions can'be designed in such a manner that they are able both to take up the required longitudinal expansion and to stand the interior pressure of the heat exchanger.

Fig. 5 shows how the radial expansion between wall of the vessel can be compensated according to a similar principle. The lower plate 22 of the nest of tubes 2li is seated in an annular groove Bil formed by the shell-side flange and the flange 33 at the lower inlet side, bearing withits high weight on the lower surface. The packing is again formed by labyrinth packings with gradual decrease of pressure towards the outside. The leaking pressure medium is led The bottom plate 22 a radial direction, independently of the wall or shell 23 of the vessel.

While the invention has been described in detail with respect to certain now preferred examples is able to expand in and embodiments of the invention it will be understood by those skilled in the art after understanding the invention, that various changes and modiiications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and it is intended, therefore, to cover all such changes and modifications in the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. A heat-exchanging device adapted for containing nuid under high pressure and having parts of different coefficient of expansion subject to widely varying temperatures and in which the differing expansions are compensated for while maintaining said high pressure within said device comprising in combination a sliding joint between said differently expanding parts exposed to said high pressure nuid, packing and throttling means in said joint for obstructing the passage of said fluid through said joint for reducing the escape of said fluid leaking through said joint, an expansible bellows forming a low pressure expansion chamber connected with said joint and separated from said high pressure fluid by said packing and throttling means for retaining fluid leaking through said joint, and exhaust means connecting said chamber to the outside atmosphere for bleeding ofi fluid leaking through said joint into said chamber to maintain no more than said low pressure in said chamber.

2. A heat-exchanging device adapted for fluid under high pressure and having parts subject to different extents of heat expansion and in which the differing expansions are compensated for while maintaining said high pressure within said device comprising in combination a sliding joint between said differently expanding parts exposed to said high pressure fluid, packing and pressure throttling means in said joint for obstructing the passage of said fluid through said joint to reduce the pressure of fluid leaking through said joint, said packing and throttling means including la plurality of successive tortuous expansion chambers, an expansible bellows adapted to withstand amaximurn pressure less than-said high pressure and forming a final low pressure expansion chamber connected with said joint and separated from said high pressure fluid by said packing and throttling means for retaining fluid leaking through saidjoint and controlled exhaust means connecting said bellows to the outside atmosphere for bleeding oil fluid leaking through said said low pressure in said bellows;

3. A heat-exchanging device adapted for con? taining fluid under high pressure and having parts subject to diiering extents of heat expansion and in which the differing expansions are compensated for while maintaining said high pressure within said device comprising in com.- bination a sliding joint between said differently expanding parts exposed to said high pressure fluid, packing and pressure throttling means in said joint for obstructing the passage of said fluid through said joint to reduce the pressure of fluid leaking through said joint, said packing and throttling means including a plurality of chambers and elastically deformable packing rings between said chambers, and expansible bellows forming a nal low pressure expansion chamber connected with said joint and separated from said high pressure fluid by said packing and throttling means for retaining fluid leaking through said joint, said rings being adapted to be urged into tighter sealing arrangement by the applicati-cn of increased pressure to said joint, and exhaust means connecting said bellows to the outside atmosphere for bleeding off uid leaking through said joint into said bellows to maintain no more than said low pressure in said bellows.

4. A heat-exchanging device adapted for duid under high pressure and having parts subject to differing extents lof heat expansion and in which the differing expansions are compensated for while maintaining said high pressure within said device comprising in combination a sliding joint between said differently expanding parts exposed to said high pressure fluid, packing and pressure throttling means in said joint for obstructing the passage lof said fluid through said joint to reduce the pressure of fluid leaking through said joint, said packing and throttling means including a plurality of successive tortuous expansion vcham-- bers, a nal low pressure expansion chamber comprising a flexible bellows member interconnecting said differently expanding parts across said joint and separated from said high pressure uid by said packing and throttling means for retaining fluid leaking through said joint, and controlled exhaust means connecting said chamber to the outside atmosphere for bleeding 01T fluid leaking through said joint into said chamber to maintain no more than said low pressure in said chamber.

5. A heat-exchanging device adapted for fluid under high pressure and having -concentric cylindrical parts subject to differing extents of heat expansion and in which the differing expansions of said parts are compensated for while maintaining said high pressure within said device comprising in combination a sliding joint between said differently expanding parts exposed to said high pressure uid, packing and pressure throttling means in said joint for obstructing the passage of said fluid through said joint to reduce the pressure of fluid leaking through said joint, said packing and throttling means including a plurality of successive tortuous expansion chambers, an expansible bellows adapted to withstand no more than a maximum pressure less than said high pressure and forming a nal low pressure chamber -connected with said joint and separated from said high pressure fluid by said packing and throttling means for retaining fluid leaking through said joint, and controlled exhaust means connecting said bellows to the outside atmosphere for bleeding oif uid leaking through said joint finto said bellows to maintain no more than' pressure of fluid leaking through said joint, said smaller cross section than the packing land throttling means including ya plu-` rality of circumferential grooves around the outside surface of the inner of said concentrically cylindrical parts and a plurality of piston ringsl fitted into said grooves to form a plurality of labyrinth chambers, each of said rings having a groove in which it fits for compensating for radial and axial expansion of said inner cylindrical part, a final low pressure expansion chamber connected with said joint and separated from said high pressure uid by said packing and throttling means, expansible bellows interconnecting said differently expanding parts across said joint, and exhaust means connecting said low pressure chamber to the outside atmosphere for bleeding off fluid leaking through said joint into said bellows to maintain no more than said low pressure in said bellows.

7. A heat-exchanging device adapted for fluid under high comprising in combination a sliding joint between said differently expanding parts exposed to said high pressure fluid, packing and pressure throttling means in said joint for obstructing the passage of said fluid reduce the pressure of uid leaking through said joint, said packing and throttling means including a plurality of circumferential grooves around the outside surface of the inner of said concentrically cylindrical parts and a plurality of piston rings fitted into said grooves to form a plurality of labyrinth expansion chambers, each of said rings having a smaller cross section than the groove in which it t-s for compensating for radial and axial expansion of said inner cylindrical part, a nal low pressure expansion chamber connected with said joint and separated from said high pressure fluid by said packing and throttling means, an expansible bellows interconnecting said differently expanding parts across said joint and communicating with said final chamber, and exhaust means connecting said nal chamber to the outside atmosphere for bleeding off fluid leaking through said joint into said bellows to maintain no more than said low concentric cylindrical parts between which said joint is located being substantially less than the diameter of the remainder of said vessel for increasing the curvature and decreasing the area of said joint to provide greater sealing eciency in said packing.

8. A vessel for iiuid under high pressure having parts subject to differing extents of heat expansion and in which the differing expansions are compensated for while maintaining said high pressure in said vessel comprising in combinasaid joint for obstructing the pas,`

through said joint to s tion a sliding joint between portions of said -differently expanding parts having substantially planar surfaces, said joint being exposed to said high pressure fluid, packing and pressure throttling means in said joint for obstructing the passage of said fluid through saidv joint to reduce to a small value theescape of said fluid leaking through said joint, said packing and throttling means including a plurality of labyrinth chambers and a nal low pressure expansion chamber connected with said joint and separated from said high pressure fluid by said packing and throttling means for retaining fluid leaking through said joint, and controlled exhaust means connecting said chamber to the outside atmosphere for bleeding oif fluid leaking through said joint into said chamber to maintain no more than said low pressure in said chamber.

9. A heat-exchanging device adapted for fluid under high pressure and having parts subject to diiering extents of heat expansion and in which the differing expansions are compensated for while maintaining said high pressure within said device comprising in combination a sliding joint between a stationary part of said vessel and a differently expanding part which moves during heat expansion, said joint being exposed to said high pressure iiuid, packing and pressure throttling means in said joint for obstructing passage of said fluid through said joint to reduce the pressure of fluid through said joint, said pack- 8. ing and throttling means including a plurality of tortuous expansion chambers on said moving part, an expansible bellows interconnecting said parts and forming a iinal low pressure expansion chamber connected with said joint and separated from said high pressure fluid by said packing and throttling means for retaining fluid leaking through said joint, and exhaust means connecting said bellows to the outside atmosphere for bleeding off fluid leaking through said joint into said bellows to maintain no more than said low pressure in said bellows.

CHRISTIAN SCHRNER.

MAX ROTHEMND.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 553,509 Burnham Jan. 28, 1896 1,626,869 ODonnell May 3, 1927 1,780,837 Nott Nov. 4, 1930 1,884,209 Potter Oct. 25, 1932 2,232,936 Bimpson Feb. 25, 1941 2,506,293 Copeland May 2, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date L1i,109 Great Britain Mar. 25, 1899 29,646 Netherlands Apr. 15, 1933 273,605 Great Britain July 12, 1927 

